20-Minute Beginner Interval Workout

November 16, 2017 by 1 Comment

20-Minute Beginner Interval Workout

This 20-minute beginner interval workout is perfect if you’re new to exercising or have taken a long time off and want to get back into a routine. Minimal equipment is required (just a set of weights), so it’s perfect to do at home.

I don’t post a ton of workouts geared specifically towards beginners (check out my last one here), because in ALL my videos I do give modifications so that every workout can be scaled down as needed. That being said, my beginner tabata workout has over 17,000 views on YouTube, so I think that’s a sign today’s routine is way overdue! If you guys like these beginner-friendly workouts, be sure to let me know in the comments on the blog or YouTube and I’ll keep ’em coming more frequently.

20-Minute Beginner Interval Workout

Video is sponsored by MegaFood and one of my favorite products of theirs: Blood Builder. All opinions—as always!—are my own. I appreciate your support of the brands that make this blog possible. 🙂

EQUIPMENT I USED:

  • Set of 10-lb dumbbells (use a weight that works for you; 5 lbs is a great place to start!)
  • Exercise mat
  • Chair or bench for modifying (optional but recommended if mobility issues prevent you from getting down to the floor and back up again repeatedly)

For this workout, we’ll be doing 40 seconds of work and 20 seconds of rest. You have six exercises that you’ll go through three times (18 minutes total). We’ll then rest for 60 seconds and finish up the workout with a minute of modified burpees.

As with all workouts, make sure to properly warm up beforehand. I have a 5-minute warm up on my YouTube channel you can do, or just do one on your own. Always listen to your body, modifying or stopping as needed. In the video, I explain how to modify every exercise as we go through the workout.

20-Minute Beginner Interval Workout

EXERCISE BREAKDOWN

Side-to-Side Lunges | From a standing position, step your right foot out wide to the side, bending your right knee and sliding the hips back as you lunge down and reach your opposite left hand across your body to the floor by your right foot. Push off your right side to return to standing. repeat over to the left.

TO MODIFY: Instead of reaching your hand all the way to the floor, stretch it across your body at chest height.

Jumping Jacks | As you jump your feet out wide, swing your arms overhead. Continue jumping your feet in and out and your hands swish up and down.

TO MODIFY: Step instead of jump. From a standing position, step your right leg out to the side as you bring your right arm overhead. Return to center and repeat on the left. Continue alternating.

Reverse Lunge, Curl to Press | Hold a weight in each hand down at your sides. Step your left foot back behind you, bending the right knee into a lunge. At the bottom of your lunge, do a bicep curl and then a shoulder press. Reverse the movement and stand.

TO MODIFY: Use a chair for balance. Your right hand will hold on to the chair as you lunge back, and do the curl and press with just the left arm.

Reverse Lunge, Curl to Press on other side

Russian Twists | Holding a weight with both hands, sit on your bum, leaning back and hovering your feet of the floor. Twist side to side, bringing the weight to the outside of each hip.

TO MODIFY: If on the floor, place your heels lightly on the ground. If mobility issues prevent you from getting to the ground, sit in a chair and twist from there.

Bird Dog | Who named this exercise? Why is it called Bird Dog? Is it even called Bird Dog or did I make that up years ago and now just foolishly believe it to be true?! Anyway … start in a tabletop position on the floor. From here, reach your opposite leg and arm out long. Pause and then return to starting tabletop. Repeat on the other side.

TO MODIFY: If mobility issues prevent you from getting to the ground, place hands on a bench or chair so that you’re in an incline plank position. From here, lift up one leg at a time.

20-Minute Beginner Interval Workout

WEARING | DYI leggings / Puma tank (old) / adidas sneakers

Before I end this post, a little PSA: You should totally subscribe to my YouTube channel. 😉 While I get that it’s not completely necessary because I do always embed the videos on the blog as well, there are some definite perks to being a subscriber. My videos usually go live there hours (or even days) before they’re up on the blog and you’ll get an email notification when they do.

Filed Under: Beginner, Full Body, Interval Training, Video, Workouts

Full-Body Resistance Band Workout with Door Anchor

August 10, 2017 by 6 Comments

This workout is sponsored by ProSource. All opinions—as always!—are my own. I appreciate your support of the brands that make this blog possible. 

First and foremost: Don’t let the “with Door Anchor” part of this workout title throw you off—I’ll show you how to do these moves with regular bands if you don’t have an anchor to use. This resistance band workout will take you about 25 minutes to complete. If you’re short on time though, you could opt to just go through the sequence once instead of twice—that would give you a 12-minute workout instead.

And just a side note before we get to the workout, I want to give you a heads up that blog posts might be a little sporadic over the next couple weeks. Our slumlord surprised us with the news we had to be out by the end of the month so he can turn the whole building into airbnb units so things are a little hectic around here. I am so incredibly tired of moving every year and I don’t care what I have to do to afford it—sell detox tea and Sugar Bear Hair on Instagram?!—the next time I move needs to be into a place I own. Anyway, life update over. On to the workout …

I’m using the Stackable Resistance Bands Set from ProSource. Specifically, their green and red bands attached to a handle and their blue resistance band attached to an ankle cuff. All three are anchored to my door. I love this set. It’s so versatile and allows for tons of different band set ups. The set includes four bands, a door anchor, two ankle straps, two large foam handles and an exercise guide. You can clip everything on and off to get the resistance just how you need it.

So let’s say the heaviest band—which is 16-20 pounds of resistance—is a little too light for a particular exercise. You can just clip on another lighter band to the handles to increase the weight load. In total, 14 possible levels of resistance up to 56 pounds are offered by this set.

Stackable resistance bands set. Take 15% off with code PERRY15

They’re great quality, too. The heavy-duty bands are made of double-dipped latex and they’re 48” long to allow for a total body workout moving through a full range of motion. The set also comes in a convenient carrying case so these are great to pack if you’re traveling. In the summer, I leave the city on most weekends so it’s nice to be able to fit in some resistance training when I’m away from my favorite studios.

ProSource Resistance Bands Discount

As our sponsor today, ProSource is generously offering you guys 15% off their resistance bands with the code PERRY15. Shop here.

Full-Body Resistance Band Workout with Door Anchor

EQUIPMENT I USED:

For this workout, you’ll perform each exercise for 30 seconds. You flow through the 6-minute sequence (12 exercises) one move to the next without rest. Do the entire thing on the right. Rest for 30 seconds. Do the entire sequence from the top on the left. If you’re short on time, you can stop there (12-minute workout); otherwise, complete once more on each side (24-minute workout)

As with all workouts, make sure you are properly warmed up beforehand. If you’d like a guided warm-up, I have one on my YouTube channel (be sure to subscribe while you’re there! wink wink shameless plug wink wink). Always listen to your body and stop and/or modify if needed.

Resistance Band Door Anchor Exercises:

  • Tricep Kickbacks
  • Straight Arm Triceps Lifts
  • Combo: Kickback + Lift
  • Lunge with Crossbody Row Extension
  • Row in Low Lunge
  • Pulse Combo: Row + Lunge
  • Quad Kicks
  • Straight Leg Quad Lifts
  • Combo: Kick + Lift
  • Lateral Low Squat Step
  • Lateral Leg Lift
  • Squat to Lateral Leg Lift

WEARING | Stripe Out leggings c/o DYI // Nike tank (old but this is similar)

Filed Under: Full Body, Resistance Band, Video, Workouts

12-Minute Dumbbell Tabata Workout with Holds

July 24, 2017 by 1 Comment

This tabata dumbbell workout replaces the traditional 10 seconds of rest with a 10-seconds isometric hold.

Hope you all had a great weekend! I spent mine in Boston for the first time in what feels like forever and worked pretty much the entire time but was SO HAPPY TO DO SO. I love summer, but I also love routine and the two seldom coexist for me. The result is this constant feeling of being behind on everything (work, self-care, etc.) and it was nice to play catch-up this weekend.

Today’s dumbbell tabata workout was inspired by the 12-minute bodyweight series I posted last summer (upper body, core, lower body (<–the most popular workout on my YouTube channel!), full body 1, full body 2). Those workouts were a big hit so I decided to do a twist on those.

12-Minute Dumbbell Tabata Workout with Holds

This video is sponsored by my friends at MegaFood. One of my favorite things about this brand is that their products are made with whole foods. They source produce from farms around the country to incorporate into their vitamins and supplements.

Equipment I Used:

A traditional tabata is 8 rounds of 20 seconds of work and 10 seconds of rest. For today’s workout, we’re replacing the rest with isometric holds.

As with all workouts, make sure to properly warm up beforehand. I have a 5-minute warm up on my YouTube channel that’s perfect to do at home.

This tabata dumbbell workout replaces the traditional 10 seconds of rest with a 10-seconds isometric hold.

Tabata 1

  • Thread the Needle in Side Plank | Start in a side forearm plank with your right forearm down on the ground, elbow stacked under shoulder. Hold the dumbbell in your left hand and reach it up to the ceiling. Feet can be stacked or staggered but if you’re using a heavier weight, I’d recommend staggered with the top foot in front of the bottom so that you have a supportive base when you rotate. From here, thread the weight under and across your chest as you rotate your chest to the floor and square your hips. Return to the starting position. Alternate sides each round.
  • Plank Hold

Tabata 2

  • Low Squat Steps | Start in a low squat position with the weight held at your shoulders behind your head. Staying low, step your left foot back into a low lunge and then right back up to your low squat. Repeat, stepping the same foot every time. Alternate sides each round.
  • Squat Hold with Weight Extended

Tabata 3

  • Renegade Row to Plank Jump | Start in a plank position, right hand gripping the dumbbell, left hand on the ground. Row the right elbow up to the ceiling, bringing the weight to the side of your torso. Return it to the ground and do a plank jump, jumping the feet up wide to the sides of your hands and then right back to plank. Alternate which arm has the weight each round.
  • Squat Hold with Weight at Chest

This tabata dumbbell workout replaces the traditional 10 seconds of rest with a 10-seconds isometric hold.

WEARING | alo yoga tank – old but I love their new lace-up tanks // michi ny leggings – old but this pair is basically the same // fierce + regal bra // nike sneakers

Outfit and equipment links are affiliate.

Filed Under: Full Body, Hand Weights/Dumbbells, Interval Training, Tabata, Video, Workouts
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